The Penn's Grove record., 1887-12-17
A JAPANESE GHOST MYTH.
In which IL IL Illustrated How
Love Conquers Death.

Love Conquers Death.
Once upon a time there lived in the
city Of Kyoto, a poor samuria, who
could find no employment or means Of
support, On account Of his poverty he
determined n day to go with a friend
to distant province. Now, this friend
had Just been appointed Governor Of
the province and promised, when they
arrived, that he would find work for
him to do.
This samuria had been married to a
young, pretty, and charming lady; but
misfortunes overlook him, and when
his wealth was lost he divorced his
young wife, and alas, after a brief in
terval, espoused the daughter Of a we'll
TODD ,nobleman; and now, starting on
his travels from the old city of Kyoto,
this second wife journeyed with him.
After many months had passed he be-
| came rich and honored man and then
began to long for his first fair wife,
| whose gentle ways and graceful form
|! were ever in his. mind. The remem-
| brance that he had driven her from
him in poverty and sorrow, and her
patient resignation, gentle obedience
and falling tears, cut him to the heart.
lie felt that he must see her once again,
no matter how far the journey. His
! constant thoughts were: "What is she
| doing now? Where is she today
Does she still remember her unfaithful
| husband who drove her from his side?''
All the old love blazed up anew, and
his one hope was to return to the old
home.
Just at this time, his kind patron,
the Governor, was called to Kyoto, and
the samurai learned with delight that
lie was TO accompany him. Only a few
days passed on the journey, and yet
they seemed like so many centuries Of
time. At night he could not rest, fol
he was forever torturing himself with
the thought that he had sent her away
from him without any just cause, aid
more than this, that since that day he
had never made any loving inquiries
alb nut her. So Oon rs the Governor
aud his suite arrived in Kyoto, the
samurai, still Ill travelling costume
hurried to the place where his hous,
had stood 50 long age. The gate wal
bolted and everything looked neglected
and distressing. The house itselt
seemed deserted as though no living
being occupied it. unhappy wife,
thought lie, show great have been Thy
sorrows," and he wept bitterly. 1t wa
at the close of the November month
and-night had settled upon the place a
he stepped across the well-known TIRES
hold. The pale moonbeams shon,
through crevices In the walls, and tn
night wind sighed as it circled rount
the lonely dwelling.
Startled, yet determined, he entered
the room where formerly he had spen
so many happy hours with the loyelies
of wives, and there, see! in the corner
bending above the hearth, stood hi
dear, lost wife. She was quite alone
and a strange silence pervaded tn,
room. Reused from her dreamy
thoughts by his football, the poor lad,
loved so dearly, and without a word O.
reproach, her face beaming with joy
she sprang toward him.
"Ah, my beloved one," she exclaim
ed, fswhence contest thou, and villa
brings thee to me?:"
II have been far from here" he an
swered, - but my heart has never for
COTTON its love. | come back now
patient wife, to turn thy sorrow int,
joy; from this time thou shalt nevel
leave me, and l will keep thee ant
cherish thee until 1 die. l have no
come to tell thee the story Of the year
away from thee, but to make PENANG,
for the wrong l have done thee and i'm
plore thy forgiveness" These tende!
words made the poor wife exceedingl,
happy and she entreated him to sit IA
her side, and then began mutual conf
dence in which they spoke Of the Incl
dents OF their sad separation.
Every where the samuria observed
evidence of the greatest poverty.
"I1ast thou no One 10 help thee?" h
asked.
NO." she softly replied. "No on,
has been in the house except myself
for / am very poor.n
The whole night slipped by in ques
tions and answers and tender plans TO
the future. Sleep did not visit thei
eyelids until the gray dawn.
The sun stood far above the horizol
when the samurai awoke. He raise,
himself to look at his beloved still
sleeping wife; but who can describe hi
horror when he saw the stiff outline O
IL crumbling corpse instead of a bein,
warm with life. 'sMy eyes deceiv
me- he thought. and again gazed upol
the terrible figure. Alas, at his sid
lay only a corpse. Half dead with fear
lie ran out CT the CHASTITY chamber an,
soon reached a neighbours dwelling
In answer to his loud knocking, tn
owner of the house came to the door
and when the almost breathles
samuria asked:
"Who lives i'll yonder housep" he an
swered.
"No one, the house Is quite desert
ed"
care you quite sure," said the sam
ural.
Certainly" replied the neighbor
"some time ago there lived there a poo
lady who had been separated from he
husband. The husband went to a dis
tant province and left her in great poy
erty. She mourned for him SO con
stantly that she became seriously i'll
but as no one offered TO help her sh
died alone there last summer, and s.
far as | know, her corpse may still b
there, for no n offered to ay her fu
neral expenses"
A great fear fell upon the samurai
upon hearing these words, and he fe,
like n crazed with terror, for now Ii
knew what had happened. The dea,
wife had not forgotten her love even il
that land beyond the grave, and tn
gods had permitted her spirit to stay OIL
earth until her husband came back 70
forgiveness. A sad story!
Wrench in a Printing Press.